MISC «morose! morose! morose!»

XX.

XX.

                  There was a time when Jillian Parker identified with Jillian Park.

                  She rejoiced in the fact that they both were Korean misfits, somehow it meant they needed to look out for each other, "I'll watch your back of you watch mine," she used to say. An angel she was. Denim overalls and bright baby tees, grapefruit skies and promises, they breathed life into Romanstoff library with their foreign translation, which they had a knack for.

             However, she didn't take the good news well of Kaisei Seon harbouring feelings for Eleanor Penn. Soon, the land of ice cracked beneath her foot as she axed it, in order to sail as far away as possible, as soon as she heard Ellie felt the same way. Catastrophic.

              The next summer she turned a new leaf. Now her only friend was Blythe Vernoff. Blythe, the next Harvard kid.

             "I can't," whispered Kai, tears prickling lower eyelids.

              "Not when I'm aware Jilly doesn't like you"

             They were skulking near primroses. Ella, simply Eleanor, was gasping for air. It was her kink, to cut off everything her father loved. For instance, her sandy white hair only being a handful. She was reeling back with afterglow. "Jillian," she breathed and tapped her temple, "Jillian, Jillian, Jillian... Jillian who?"

               Kai grunted. "Jillian Parker, Jillian Park!" Eleanor smirked not making an attempt to mask her pleasure & surprise. "Jillian making moon eyes at me from across the room?"

              Kai frowned, not understanding. "Moon eyes?" He was unfamiliar with that expression, not that it was difficult to interpret. Her feline eyes spoke many mysteries.

              And she fixed her skirt and straightened her posture. Gettig away from the flower bed area, dragging him by the elbow, "I do remember, ha ha.."

                It was her sweet sixteen birthday. Everyone fancied champagne and a slice of coconut cake, vanilla icing. Everyone except the golden people. Normani was dancing on the table alongside a few others. Her first ever boy-girl party. Westerly was pretty absent. That slut. Kai felt a heavy punch near abdomen as he saw Jillian Park down fluke after fluke, like it's nothing. Like she wasn't underaged at all. Chubby Jilly getting first taste of pain.

           "We briefly dated."

             Never had he ever imagined that Jilly would hold that against him for this long. What was he supposed to do? Ditch Eleanor?

              Like he did about an hour ago? The auditions sure took a lot of time. It looked as if Eleanor was mouthing something to him, despite the student commotion that erupted within seconds as the song drew to end, but Kai was too set on Jilly fucking Park to notice.

             Jilly was kind of a pain in the neck. Then, a look of calmness had settled on her feature. Like, this was it. Something sinister she was cradling, some stupid scheme. Didn't move an inch, she stood her ground, slow clapping.

           Before Kai knew — he was outside. Clutching knees after running too hard, bending. Chugging banana milk. Half of it leaked affecting the jacket fabric that he wore. He peeled it off hence.

             Thirty nine minutes later, he was walking the familiar streets to Nurse headquarters. His father was one.

             "Sei Seon!"